Tourism-dependent small towns in California are doing the unthinkable: asking visitors to stay away.
Big Bear, Mammoth, Truckee and South Lake Tahoe are among the mountain communities asking anyone who is not a resident to keep out of town.
Eddie Kirsh, the director of marketing and communications for Visit Big Bear, said a group of local health, government and business officials made the decision Thursday morning after speaking with officials in Mammoth, who made their announcement Wednesday.
Kirsh said the group's biggest concern was over-burdening its small, local hospital.
"Any way we can help prevent a health crisis is more beneficial for our residents and potential visitors than trying to get as much business as we can in the short term," he said.
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